The Ansonia Blog

Browse our recent updates and blog posts.

Classy Premier Cru from St-Aubin’s Best Vineyard

Sofie Bohrmann is a first generation winemaker from Belgium – hardly a recipe for success in the insular world of Burgundian vignerons where most inherit vines, and people even from the Maconnais (an hour south) are considered out of towners. And yet she’s cracked into the elite world of Côte d’Or winemaking. She’s a real winemaking talent, of course, but we’re betting her charming smile and disarmingly friendly demeanor go a long way. Her style is clear and juicy – the wines are packed with flavor, limited oak, and flat-out delicious textures.

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Silky, Pure, Delicious 2023 Red Burgundy

Last week we tasted with Pierre Gros, the new generation at Domaine Michel Gros. Michel is still around – we passed him directing some tractors in the Clos des Réas on the way to our tasting appointment – but Pierre is in charge now. There’s been little change to the winemaking at Gros (“if it ain’t broke…”) and in his short tenure Pierre has already steered the domaine through a wide range of vintages.

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Six Year Old “Very Stylish Gevrey-Chambertin”

Philippe Cheron and his son Paul farm a portfolio of vineyards in Burgundy that would make even the most seasoned vigneron envious. Their Domaine du Couvent includes vines in every town from Nuits-St-Georges to Marsannay, including village, premier cru and grand cru plots. Their style is sleek and modern but with restrained oak, careful but firm extraction, and gorgeous density of fruit.

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Gorgeous Morey-St-Denis from a Rising Star

We’re in Burgundy this week visiting and tasting with winemakers. On Monday we spent a delightful morning and lunch with Léon Amiot, the young twentysomething winemaker at Domaine Amiot et fils in Morey-St-Denis. Léon is a real talent with a sky high ceiling – the Guide Hachette last year named him Burgundy’s “Winemaker of the Year.” His wines get better every year – his carefully-crafted 2024s will be in next month’s April Futures.

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Vibrant, Mouthwatering White Burgundy from St-Aubin. $35

For years St-Aubin was a white Burgundy collector’s hidden gem. Today it’s no longer hidden – many writers put in on par with Chassagne, Puligny and Meursault – but it’s still a gem. Tucked away down a valley running west from the Côte d’Or, St-Aubin’s vineyards average higher elevation than many towns, a boon in warm climates.

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Exquisite, “Joyous” 2022 Premier Cru Chambolle-Musigny

We enjoyed a lovely tasting yesterday with Justine Clerget, winemaker at Domaine Christian Clerget. Her father’s name is on the label, but Justine is now unmistakably in charge – she’s brought renewed energy, refined techniques, and a passion for organic viticulture. The Clerget wines were always classical, terroir-transparent, old school red Burgundy; Justine has maintained this spirit but added polish and class.

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“Striking Elegance:” Dynamic New Organic Gamay

You don’t have to be a vigneron to notice Guillaume Goujon and Sebastien Dupré are farming organically. Their vineyards appear almost abandoned – vines share the ground with herbs, flowers, grasses, and wildlife, all in the name of fostering biodiversity and soil health. In the cellar Dupré and Goujon have a similarly light touch – their cuvées are made with whole clusters, ambient yeasts, limited oak, very low sulfites, and a long, slow elevage.

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Elegant, Vibrant, Chiseled White Burgundy. $39

Gautier Desvignes is beloved among our readers for his well-priced, excellent red Burgundies from Givry. In a world where Bourgogne rouge cuvées from the Côte de Nuits are pushing $60/bot, and more than a few are into three digits, Desvignes Givrys are beautifully crafted, sophisticated, and highly affordable. Gautier continues to get better each year, and it’s been a delight to watch his star rise so dramatically over the last decade.

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Exceptional, Minimalist, Precise: Old-Vine Pouilly-Fuissé. $39

If the Côte Chalonnaise has become a bastion of red Burgundy value, then the Maconnais is its counterpart in white. At their best the whites of the Maconnais are sunny and fresh, with vibrant acidity woven into ample fleshy fruit – not to mention exceptional pricing. Organic and biodynamic viticulture go a long way towards keeping these wines fresh, and indeed all of our sources here are one or both.

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